Laptop won't display after unplugging hdmi cable.

[James Cameron]

Got a bit of a confusing problem.

When I unplug the hdmi cable from my laptop to my av receiver, I can't get my laptop's main display to work or get any sound.
I've tried doing a lot to fix this with no success.

I've tried switching the resolution back to its default setting before unplugging with no luck.
I've also tried pressing multiple combinations of the Fn key with F7 and F8 (the display buttons) with no luck. I've even gone into screen resolution and managed to turn on duel monitors but even that doesn't work, the TV displays the same resolution that the laptop screen is meant to be showing at the same time but the laptop screen remains blank. In a last ditch effort, I've even unplugged it from the av receiver and plugged it directly into a different LCD that's only got 720p.

The most frustrating thing is that I know for sure the screen isn't broken, It always turns on and shows the ASUS logo and starting windows screens before going blank AND I can get the main display to work when opening in safe mode so I know for sure the screen isn't broken.

Here's an interesting thing though, when I connect it via hdmi to the LCD TV that's only at 720p and I click on the speaker icon in the toolbar, I can't seem to get the sound to stop coming through on the Realtek High Definition Audio device option, as if the laptop doesn't recognize it's no longer connected to my AV receiver and speaker set up.

Someone please help, I'm at my wits end trying to get this laptop to work without being hooked up to a TV.

 

[Reynod]

Sounds like you might have to go into the BIOS and see if the default video has moved to an external device rather than the lappy screen.

ALT F2 on bootup.

Also check the HDMI socket ... make sure it is clean and you haven't mangled it up.

 

[James Cameron]

I checked the hdmi port and it seems fine for all I can tell but I don't think that's the problem.

Sorry to come off as computer illiterate but I'm not sure how to check BIOS. I pressed F2 and got to the aptio config screen with what looked like the BIOS description but I didn't know what to access from there. It seemed like all I could configure where the date, passwords and other things like that.

Also another note, I was able to set the internal speakers as the default device so I've got sound coming out of the laptop now. I even did a little test, I opened up a youtube video in full screen and then removed the cable. I can hear the little "device removed" jingle when I pull out the cable so I know the tv's being recognized as an external device. I can also still pause and unpause the video and hear it clearly so I now know it's still working correctly when unplugged, it's just that it's still not displaying correctly.

 

[Reynod]

James ... did you delete yourself??

 

[James Cameron]

Whoops, nope I just somehow pressed the submit button before I was done typing. Edited my other post.

 

[Reynod]

What model is the Asus Laptop ... I will do a search for you.

 

[James Cameron]

Thank you so much for your help. It's a N61Jq series laptop.

 

[Reynod]

Dug around a bit but I must admit I am scratching my head.

https/www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/N61Jq/overview/

http/www.techradar.com/au/news/home-cinema/high-definition/common-hdmi-problems-and-solutions-923327

Some common HDMI faults in the link above.

First reboot the laptop and hold down the ALT as well as the F2 key and you should go into the bios screen - it should show on the laptop screen. Take a good look around and see if there is an option to select external graphics ... and make sure it is set to the existing display (the laptop display)

You might have a problem with the Fn keys on your laptop ... but that's getting a bit weird.

http/www.ehow.com/how_7326915_restore-function-key-asus-laptop.html

 

[yimmi]

to get it clear does your laptop works fine?Or you keep having blank screen after loading windows?

 

[GreyCatz]

Greetings James,
Just a thought: since you're using external devices, maybe your laptop is in "Second screen only" display mode.

Cheers,
GreyCatz.

 

[James Cameron]

Unfortunately I couldn't find any external graphics option on the septio screen, I'm really stuck as to what to do here.

I did update my AMD Drivers a couple months ago, maybe I should try and revert it back?

I don't know, I know it's a system error and not a hardware problem. The screen works perfectly fine when I boot it up in safe mode.

@GreyCatz
Yeah I've noticed in the screen resolution menu that it's set to 'show desktop only on 2'. I can switch to 'show only on 1' but it doesn't turn the laptop screen on at all. I then have to press Fn F8 to get the display back on the TV. Would there be another location where I might have ticked a box for 'Second screen only' that I've forgotten or was what I said before what you were talking about?

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

 

[Reynod]

James I think you might be only something there.

Change the settings to show on both and then reboot.

I think that will solve it.

Thanks greykatz and yimmi for trying to help too.

 

[Reynod]

I assume it has Win 7 on it?

Set it to display both.

http/maximumpcguides.com/windows-7/show-the-desktop-only-on-one-monitor/

 

[James Cameron]

No luck I'm afraid.

I switched the display option to 1/2. Multiple Monitors, rebooted but to no success. The most frustrating thing is that I can run the laptop display perfectly fine in safe mode, it just refuses to turn on when Windows boots up normally. I thought for a second that it might even be that the HDMI socket still thinks the cable is plugged in but it still makes the 'device removed' jingle when unplugged so I don't think it's that.

I even tried selecting the 'Extend these displays' option under Multiple displays and found that it would switch to a new screen where my start bar, task bar and desktop icons were gone and for some reason the desktop wallpaper had reduced to being centered and only filling out half the display.

I'm thinking I might have to take it into CNET Technologies repair shop and see what they can do. They could try restoring it to factory settings for me but I would rather not lose some of the programs I've paid for like Microsoft Office.

 

[GreyCatz]

No luck I'm afraid.

I switched the display option to 1/2. Multiple Monitors, rebooted but to no success. The most frustrating thing is that I can run the laptop display perfectly fine in safe mode, it just refuses to turn on when Windows boots up normally. I thought for a second that it might even be that the HDMI socket still thinks the cable is plugged in but it still makes the 'device removed' jingle when unplugged so I don't think it's that.

I even tried selecting the 'Extend these displays' option under Multiple displays and found that it would switch to a new screen where my start bar, task bar and desktop icons were gone and for some reason the desktop wallpaper had reduced to being centered and only filling out half the display.

I'm thinking I might have to take it into CNET Technologies repair shop and see what they can do. They could try restoring it to factory settings for me but I would rather not lose some of the programs I've paid for like Microsoft Office.

Hello James,

Well, there is one last place where you can modify monitors: in the Intel Graphics Control utility (they use other terms, but it's basically the same features). Maybe downloading the latest Intel graphics driver would help.

As for the sound, I sometimes get that problem, too, and I have to re-download the RealTek driver from, in my case, Lenovo's support page. Then my external device shows up in the Windows Audio devices dialog and I can disable/enable sound devices.

Best of luck,
GreyCatz.

 

[martiansmith]

did your issue ever get resolved? i am having the exact same problem

 

[James Cameron]

Yep, reformatting it back to factory settings got it working again just fine

I'm sorry but I don't know what else to tell you. I tried for a week doing various things but to no avail before I took it to a repair shop, they were as stumped as I was.

Apparently the guy who reformatted and cleaned it for me thought the problem might have been caused when I updated the drivers while it was still plugged into the TV via HDMI cable. It could have taken weeks looking through the drivers or the System32 folder trying to identify what the problem was that it was just easier reformatting. Sorry if you were hoping for a better solution, Maybe someone else here has an idea what happened?

 

[Reynod]

Wow James really pleased you got it to work though.

The main thing is you got a solution .. .so that might help the next person with a similar problem ... though a reformat to factory settings is pretty much the last thing you want to recommend.

Please hang around the forums and see if you can impart some of that knowledge to others ... that's what Toms Guide is all about.